CHAPTER 13
The Jinjin's Just Judgment
All the adventurers were reunited next morning when they were broughtfrom various palaces to the Residence of Tititi-Hoochoo and ushered intothe great Hall of State.
As before, no one was visible except our friends and their escortsuntil the first bell sounded. Then in a flash the room was seen to befilled with the beautiful Kings and Queens of the land. The second bellmarked the appearance in the throne of the mighty Jinjin, whose handsomecountenance was as composed and expressionless as ever.
All bowed low to the Ruler. Their voices softly murmured: "We greet thePrivate Citizen, mightiest of Rulers, whose word is Law and whose Law isjust."
Tititi-Hoochoo bowed in acknowledgment. Then, looking around thebrilliant assemblage, and at the little group of adventurers before him,he said:
"An unusual thing has happened. Inhabitants of other lands than ours,who are different from ourselves in many ways, have been thrust uponus through the Forbidden Tube, which one of our people foolishly madeyears ago and was properly punished for his folly. But these strangershad no desire to come here and were wickedly thrust into the Tube by acruel King on the other side of the world, named Ruggedo. This King isan immortal, but he is not good. His magic powers hurt mankind more thanthey benefit them. Because he had unjustly kept the Shaggy Man's brothera prisoner, this little band of honest people, consisting of both mortalsand immortals, determined to conquer Ruggedo and to punish him. Fearingthey might succeed in this, the Nome King misled them so that they fellinto the Tube.
"Now, this same Ruggedo has been warned by me, many times, that if everhe used this Forbidden Tube in any way he would be severely punished. Ifind, by referring to the Fairy Records, that this King's servant, a nomenamed Kaliko, begged his master not to do such a wrong act as to dropthese people into the Tube and send them tumbling into our country. ButRuggedo defied me and my orders.
"Therefore these strangers are innocent of any wrong. It is only Ruggedowho deserves punishment, and I will punish him." He paused a moment andthen continued in the same cold, merciless voice:
"These strangers must return through the Tube to their own side of theworld; but I will make their fall more easy and pleasant than it wasbefore. Also I shall send with them an Instrument of Vengeance, who in myname will drive Ruggedo from his underground caverns, take away his magicpowers and make him a homeless wanderer on the face of the earth--a placehe detests."
There was a little murmur of horror from the Kings and Queens at theseverity of this punishment, but no one uttered a protest, for allrealized that the sentence was just.
"In selecting my Instrument of Vengeance," went on Tititi-Hoochoo, "Ihave realized that this will be an unpleasant mission. Therefore noone of us who is blameless should be forced to undertake it. In thiswonderful land it is seldom one is guilty of wrong, even in the slightestdegree, and on examining the Records I found no King or Queen had erred.Nor had any among their followers or servants done any wrong. But finallyI came to the Dragon Family, which we highly respect, and then it wasthat I discovered the error of Quox.
"Quox, as you well know, is a young dragon who has not yet acquired thewisdom of his race. Because of this lack, he has been disrespectfultoward his most ancient ancestor, the Original Dragon, telling him onceto mind his own business and again saying that the Ancient One had grownfoolish with age. We are aware that dragons are not the same as fairiesand cannot be altogether guided by our laws, yet such disrespect as Quoxhas shown should not be unnoticed by us. Therefore I have selected Quoxas my royal Instrument of Vengeance and he shall go through the Tube withthese people and inflict upon Ruggedo the punishment I have decreed."
All had listened quietly to this speech and now the Kings and Queensbowed gravely to signify their approval of the Jinjin's judgment.
Tititi-Hoochoo turned to Tubekins.
"I command you," said he, "to escort these strangers to the Tube and seethat they all enter it."
The King of the Tube, who had first discovered our friends and broughtthem to the Private Citizen, stepped forward and bowed. As he did so,the Jinjin and all the Kings and Queens suddenly disappeared and onlyTubekins remained visible.
"All right," said Betsy, with a sigh; "I don't mind going back so _very_much, 'cause the Jinjin promised to make it easy for us."
Indeed, Queen Ann and her officers were the only ones who looked solemnand seemed to fear the return journey. One thing that bothered Ann washer failure to conquer this land of Tititi-Hoochoo. As they followedtheir guide through the gardens to the mouth of the Tube she said toShaggy:
"How can I conquer the world, if I go away and leave this rich countryunconquered?"
"You can't," he replied. "Don't ask me why, please, for if you don't knowI can't inform you."
"Why not?" said Ann; but Shaggy paid no attention to the question.
This end of the Tube had a silver rim and around it was a gold railing towhich was attached a sign that read:
"IF YOU ARE OUT, STAY THERE. IF YOU ARE IN, DON'T COME OUT."
On a little silver plate just inside the Tube was engraved the words:
"_Burrowed and built by Hiergargo the Magician, In the Year of the World_ 19625478 _For his own exclusive uses_."
"He was some builder, I must say," remarked Betsy, when she had read theinscription; "but if he had known about that star I guess he'd have spenthis time playing solitaire."
"Well, what are we waiting for?" inquired Shaggy, who was impatient tostart.
"Quox," replied Tubekins. "But I think I hear him coming."
"Is the young dragon invisible?" asked Ann, who had never seen a livedragon and was a little fearful of meeting one.
"No, indeed," replied the King of the Tube. "You'll see him in a minute;but before you part company I'm sure you'll wish he _was_ invisible."
"Is he dangerous, then?" questioned Files.
"Not at all. But Quox tires me dreadfully," said Tubekins, "and I preferhis room to his company."
At that instant a scraping sound was heard, drawing nearer and neareruntil from between two big bushes appeared a huge dragon, who approachedthe party, nodded his head and said: "Good morning."
Had Quox been at all bashful I am sure he would have felt uncomfortableat the astonished stare of every eye in the group-except Tubekins, ofcourse, who was not astonished because he had seen Quox so often.
Betsy had thought a "young" dragon must be a small dragon, yet here wasone so enormous that the girl decided he must be full grown, if notovergrown. His body was a lovely sky-blue in color and it was thickly setwith glittering silver scales, each one as big as a serving-tray. Aroundhis neck was a pink ribbon with a bow just under his left ear, and belowthe ribbon appeared a chain of pearls to which was attached a goldenlocket about as large around as the end of a bass drum. This locket wasset with many large and beautiful jewels.
The head and face of Quox were not especially ugly, when you considerthat he was a dragon; but his eyes were so large that it took him a longtime to wink and his teeth seemed very sharp and terrible when theyshowed, which they did whenever the beast smiled. Also his nostrils werequite large and wide, and those who stood near him were liable to smellbrimstone--especially when he breathed out fire, as it is the nature ofdragons to do. To the end of his long tail was attached a big electriclight.
Perhaps the most singular thing about the dragon's appearance at thistime was the fact that he had a row of seats attached to his back, oneseat for each member of the party. These seats were double, with curvedbacks, so that two could sit in them, and there were twelve of thesedouble seats, all strapped firmly around the dragon's thick body andplaced one behind the other, in a row that extended from his shouldersnearly to his tail.
"Aha!" exclaimed Tubekins; "I see that Tititi-Hoochoo has
transformedQuox into a carryall."
"I'm glad of that," said Betsy. "I hope, Mr. Dragon, you won't mind ourriding on your back."
"Not a bit," replied Quox. "I'm in disgrace just now, you know, and theonly way to redeem my good name is to obey the orders of the Jinjin. Ifhe makes me a beast of burden, it is only a part of my punishment, and Imust bear it like a dragon. I don't blame you people at all, and I hopeyou'll enjoy the ride. Hop on, please. All aboard for the other side ofthe world!"
Silently they took their places. Hank sat in the front seat with Betsy,so that he could rest his front hoofs upon the dragon's head. Behind themwere Shaggy and Polychrome, then Files and the Princess, and Queen Annand Tik-Tok. The officers rode in the rear seats. When all had mounted totheir places the dragon looked very like one of those sight-seeing wagonsso common in big cities--only he had legs instead of wheels.
"All ready?" asked Quox, and when they said they were he crawled to themouth of the Tube and put his head in.
"Good-bye, and good luck to you!" called Tubekins; but no one thought toreply, because just then the dragon slid his great body into the Tube andthe journey to the other side of the world had begun.
At first they went so fast that they could scarcely catch their breaths,but presently Quox slowed up and said with a sort of cackling laugh:
"My scales! but that is some tumble. I think I shall take it easy andfall slower, or I'm likely to get dizzy. Is it very far to the other sideof the world?"
"Haven't you ever been through this Tube before?" inquired Shaggy.
"Never. Nor has anyone else in our country; at least, not since I wasborn."
"How long ago was that?" asked Betsy.
"That I was born? Oh, not very long ago. I'm only a mere child. If I hadnot been sent on this journey, I would have celebrated my three thousandand fifty-sixth birthday next Thursday. Mother was going to make me abirthday cake with three thousand and fifty-six candles on it; but now,of course, there will be no celebration, for I fear I shall not get homein time for it."
"Three thousand and fifty-six years!" cried Betsy. "Why, I had no ideaanything could live that long!"
"My respected Ancestor, whom I would call a stupid old humbug if I hadnot reformed, is so old that I am a mere baby compared with him," saidQuox. "He dates from the beginning of the world, and insists on tellingus stories of things that happened fifty thousand years ago, which are ofno interest at all to youngsters like me. In fact, Grandpa isn't up todate. He lives altogether in the past, so I can't see any good reason forhis being alive to-day.... Are you people able to see your way, or shallI turn on more light?'
"Oh, we can see very nicely, thank you; only there's nothing to see butourselves," answered Betsy.
This was true. The dragon's big eyes were like headlights on anautomobile and illuminated the Tube far ahead of them. Also he curled histail upward so that the electric light on the end of it enabled them tosee one another quite clearly. But the Tube itself was only dark metal,smooth as glass but exactly the same from one of its ends to the other.Therefore there was no scenery of interest to beguile the journey.
They were now falling so gently that the trip was proving entirelycomfortable, as the Jinjin had promised it would be; but this meant alonger journey and the only way they could make time pass was to engagein conversation. The dragon seemed a willing and persistent talker and hewas of so much interest to them that they encouraged him to chatter. Hisvoice was a little gruff but not unpleasant when one became used to it.
"My only fear," said he presently, "is that this constant sliding overthe surface of the Tube will dull my claws. You see, this hole isn'tstraight down, but on a steep slant, and so instead of tumbling freelythrough the air I must skate along the Tube. Fortunately, there is a filein my tool-kit, and if my claws get dull they can be sharpened again."
"Why do you want sharp claws?" asked Betsy.
"They are my natural weapons, and you must not forget that I have beensent to conquer Ruggedo."
"Oh, you needn't mind about that," remarked Queen Ann, in her mosthaughty manner; "for when we get to Ruggedo I and my invincible Army canconquer him without your assistance."
"Very good," returned the dragon, cheerfully. "That will save me a lot ofbother--if you succeed. But I think I shall file my claws, just the same."
He gave a long sigh, as he said this, and a sheet of flame, several feetin length, shot from his mouth. Betsy shuddered and Hank said "Hee-haw!"while some of the officers screamed in terror. But the dragon did notnotice that he had done anything unusual.
"Is there fire inside of you?" asked Shaggy.
"Of course," answered Quox. "What sort of a dragon would I be if my firewent out?"
"What keeps it going?" Betsy inquired.
"I've no idea. I only know it's there," said Quox. "The fire keeps mealive and enables me to move; also to think and speak."
"Ah! You are ver-y much like my-self," said Tik-Tok. "The on-lydif-fer-ence is that I move by clock-work, while you move by fire."
"I don't see a particle of likeness between us, I must confess," retortedQuox, gruffly. "You are not a live thing; you're a dummy."
"But I can do things, you must ad-mit," said Tik-Tok.
"Yes, when you are wound up," sneered the dragon. "But if you run down,you are helpless."
"What would happen to you, Quox, if you ran out of gasoline?" inquiredShaggy, who did not like this attack upon his friend.
"I don't use gasoline."
"Well, suppose you ran out of fire."
"What's the use of supposing that?" asked Quox. "Mygreat-great-great-grandfather has lived since the world began, and hehas never once run out of fire to keep him going. But I will confideto you that as he gets older he shows more smoke and less fire. As forTik-Tok, he's well enough in his way, but he's merely copper. And theMetal Monarch knows copper through and through. I wouldn't be surprisedif Ruggedo melted Tik-Tok in one of his furnaces and made copper penniesof him."
"In that case, I would still keep going," remarked Tik-Tok, calmly.
"Pennies do," said Betsy regretfully.
"This is all nonsense," said the Queen, with irritation. "Tik-Tok ismy great Army--all but the officers--and I believe he will be able toconquer Ruggedo with ease. What do you think, Polychrome?"
"You might let him try," answered the Rainbow's Daughter, with her sweetringing laugh, that sounded like the tinkling of tiny bells. "And ifTik-Tok fails, you have still the big fire-breathing dragon to fall backon."
"Ah!" said the dragon, another sheet of flame gushing from his mouth andnostrils; "it's a wise little girl, this Polychrome. Anyone would knowshe is a fairy."
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